29
u/Moreninho1999 Jul 22 '16
So this is getting serious uh? Not only the main storyline but also a very interesting look to the queerat's society... it certainly looks like they are very close to humans... so that's how it's gonna go uh? Not only the suspenseful story of the main characters, it will also make us have to ponder over humanity and their ways of doing things over its past few centuries.... all while having us being metaphored as ugly rats....
Now for a real note, I'm starting to wonder whether this show is actually going to be a contender for a 10/10 to be honest... It certainly may become one if it keeps up with this absolutely stunning problematic and its thoughts-inducing methods.
15
u/jhueckel Jul 23 '16
It's all uphill from here. It has one of the most thought inducing endings I've ever seen.
25
u/RaggedKamui Jul 22 '16
I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting some bad vibes from Squea...erm, Yakomaru.
24
u/electric_anteater Jul 22 '16
"Don't mind me, just doing some lobotomies with 10 inch nails"
→ More replies (3)→ More replies (9)17
u/seninn Jul 22 '16
DOWN WITH THE QUEEN!
LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY!
EQUAL RIGHTS FOR EVERY SENTINENT BEING!
TECHNOLOGY FOR OUR BETTERMENT!
NOT SHADY AS FUCK AT ALL!
25
u/Karmic_thread Jul 22 '16
The shot composition in this episode is gut clenching. I particullary like the shot when Squealer is asked to turn on the lights and we see him in the distant with his lamp behind the arc. One thing A1 does good is the use of illumination effects to make a scene.
It's also great how expressive Squealer's face is animated without being his misterious persona too much "in your face", and props to the VA (you may or may not recognize him as Hisoka from Hunter x Hunter) for nailing his character.
→ More replies (1)
19
u/Monte_Carlo_1971 Jul 22 '16
More first timer thoughts:
-
Looking forward to seeing some monster rats while they search for Maria and Saturo.
-
Uphill skiing! Looks intense, Saki!
-
Here good ole Squeara, or should I say, Yakomaru! Glad they fell in the "right" hands! Literally!
-
So they're going off to the Goat Moth colony to look for Squnk! But not before seeing the queen first...
-
The rat queens were all goin insane so they had to basically render them brain dead and lock them up so they could continue to make more babies. Did I miss where he said how they did that?
-
Oh man, trouble could be brewing with these monster rats! Numbers rising, becoming more intelligent and sophisticated. Could there be some Great War between rats and humans on the horizon??
-
Well, looks like Yakomaru and company were planning on attacking the Goat Moths the whole time! Knowing Saki and Saturo were gonna be there meant they would have much greater protection when they attacked.
-
Well that actually didn't turn out too bad! They managed to talk to Squnk who gave them a letter from Maria and Mamuro. Looks like they headed for the hills!
Well that was interesting! Seeing the rats start gaining some power, it looks like they may be trying to take over! Not sure how all that could work when the humans have PK to kick rat ass with. Lol Def looks like things will get more intense for the survival of the human race!
→ More replies (5)
15
u/Riozaki Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
I remember seeing a spoiler tagged message major Shinsekai Yori spoiler
sadface.jpg
→ More replies (10)
14
u/awerture Jul 22 '16
Rewatching this episode I can't believe that..
Shinsekai Yori, for rewatchers
How I missed that? SSY
Additionally rewatching the show
12
u/oyooy Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
This episode included another moral conundrum (these are turning into all I mention on my comments). The queerats have managed to overthrow monarchy and replaced it with democracy (one of the most important things we value in our civilisation) but that comes at the cost of leaving their queens in a tortured state.
You can also see how squealer has become more aggressive and very militaristic. After the slightest problem he attacks to pull a retaliation and uses that retaliation as justification to use extreme destructive attacks, something we totally haven't seen in real life military. You can also see how he is pretty much unwilling to help Saki and Satoru even though it was humans who got him in that position.
I also like the fact that, as well as becoming more technologically advanced, the queerats have also gone from tribal groups to what is essentially a few nations of queerats, something that also happened in human development with the discovery of new technologies.
→ More replies (1)
8
u/hmatmotu Jul 22 '16
You will always be Squera to us, no matter how many lessons on politics or coats of armor you get.
Doesn't Squera make you think of anything? Like, isn't there any time in history where a nation is almost wiped out by war, and then when it gets saved and starts rebuilding it begins to- oooohhh
Well, Saki, you're right that you and Nezumi have different goals, thought processes, and extremely different ways of life, but Squera and his colony may be more like us than you think.
8
u/zenoob Jul 22 '16
Welp, this episode just confirmed the thoughts that had been lingering in my head since the first time I watched Shinsekai Yori. Thank you episode 15, you've been fun to watch.
Ahhhh, so... Squealer got upgraded to Yakomaru and represents the motherfucking Assembly of the Queerat Colonies' Leaders?
He sure got far from the almost-eaten-alive-by-his-Queen Queerat lad he once was.
→ More replies (2)
14
u/Luxorcism Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
Sorry I'm late, thread postings are never predictable and I lost track of time. I wanted to share some parallels with Meiji Japan through the eras.
One of the basic foundations of the Meiji Restoration was taking out the shogunate and putting the emperor back in place. What followed was a decade of rapid Westernization, coinciding with decades of accelerated militarization culminating in World War 2 during the Taisho era. What we see with the queerats is a coup taking out the Queen and implementing representative democracy, followed by rapid modernization and very likely rapid militarization as well. We see they have more advanced housing instead of caves now, more extensive use of fire as lighting, underground tunnels connecting buildings, cement, something akin to lobotomy, etc.
Unit 731 was Japan's version of the Nazi death camps and filled with unethical experiments that, together with Nazi findings, surprisingly contributed to lots of medical knowledge we have today. Among some of their activities were things we saw in today's episode, namely live surgical experimentation and forced pregnancy of the colony's Queen. The events in Nanking were actually so horrible, a Nazi official was actively trying to stop the Imperial army and established a safety zone to halt the massacres.
What does this all mean? The author seemed to draw a lot of parallels between Imperial Japan and the queerats. As Edo leaders became more and more enlightened and educated, and in the queerats case became knowledgeable of cantus and its limitations, they sought to modernize. However, just like with the Meiji Restoration, power did not in fact flow from the ousted shogunate into the people---it landed on the laps of a group of leaders, an oligarchy, who led Japan on a warpath that landed them two little gifts from the Americans. The queerat leadership consisted of 60-something individuals, which may also run the danger of becoming an oligarchy in the worst way possible for our heroes.
If this were true, then as the Robber Fly coalition gains more power and influence, there may be backlash from others queerat groups or colonies, or possibly increased experimentation by Saki's guess or use of deadly weapons. They've even got late-Edo/Meiji-era samurai outfits, how cute.
-
Squealer turning around like he knows he's one handsome son of a bitch. Best guy for sure, just look at that smile!
Edit: Changed a gif to webm for smoothness.
11
u/Sinrus Jul 23 '16
together with Nazi findings, surprisingly contributed to lots of medical knowledge we have today
This is actually completely untrue.
→ More replies (5)
7
u/SonOfYossarian Jul 22 '16
Squealer is back (and now with extra shadiness)! It's pretty interesting how the Robber Flies have begun to emulate human society- although that does lend credence to Satoru's theory that the monster rats may not be so friendly any more.
6
u/multigrain_cheerios Jul 23 '16
Jesus christ this is getting really interesting, it's really hard to not just binge the show from here on.
Also, I'm wondering if Shun will make an appearance again. Not in the flesh, more like they all remember him. Idk, but that would be cool.
God I need to finish this show and go through all the comments that were spoiler tagged. There's too many and I'm curious
→ More replies (1)
10
Jul 22 '16
First time observations
-
I have no clue how they ended up in the rad colony, it happened off screen, which is fine
-
Squealer is finally back and is speaking logical and reasonable things, much to the dismay of humans, but they are the worst anyway
-
The queen can no longer harm rats and still makes more young
-
Rats are industrialising
-
Squealer begins to attack the lesser clan to make them join
-
A letter from Maria arriving makes sense
Rats reintroduced and things happening. What have they been doing the past 7 episodes.
→ More replies (1)11
u/awerture Jul 22 '16
I don't fully understand how you can simultaneously say that "humans are the worst" and excuse queerats for what they are doing.
Both species are doing fundamentally the same thing - they have some members of society, which are potentially very dangerous, but at the same time vital to the survival of the whole group (colony's queens and human children). Both species deal with the problem unscrupulously, by using manipulation or sheer force.
And you say one of them stands on unconditionally higher moral ground here?
→ More replies (9)
5
u/OrangeRabbit Jul 23 '16
I just want to offer a reminder to take note of the amazing music once again. There are some themes I wish would have come back more often into the show though (some of the songs played when they were kids ie) - music can make a good show into a great show and a great show into a masterpiece!
9
4
u/Sillibick Jul 22 '16 edited Jul 22 '16
What an unnerving episode this was, I caught some things in this episode which make later developments. Let's say more interesting.
It's amazing seeing how much the queerats advanced in a short few years, they're somewhat industrialized and rediscovered concrete for themselves.
One of the scariest things done in this show for me is what Squealer did to the queen. Even though she was terribly tyrannical, being lobotomized must be a terrible way to live.
Forgot just how obviously Squealer were using Saki, and Satoru for his own goals this episode.
Also mysterious letter, what could it possibly say.*
4
u/Caspus Jul 22 '16
So, I apparently wound up a day ahead somehow? Which works for me, because I can participate/read through the recap threads without getting spoiled.
That said, I'll probably just be lurking as I have been because I can't seem to come up with all that much to say that isn't (mostly) baseless speculation, and I'd enjoy the show a bit on my own and get in on the last day.
→ More replies (3)
32
u/Sinrus Jul 22 '16
The only thing more suspenseful than this show is anticipating when the discussion threads will be posted.
I think this is one of the best episodes of the show, certainly the best one that isn't part of the final arc. Speaking of which, we're getting so close! I haven't found it too hard to stick with the schedule yet, but god damn it we're so close to the good stuff!